Celtic Midfielder Ruled Out Against Livingston After Illness
In many ways, Celtic's game against Livingston is somewhat of a must-win for Brendan Rodgers' team, as they find themselves in the middle of a bad run of form.
Celtic have only won two of their previous five league games. They simply cannot afford to extend that run to six, especially with Rangers picking up some serious momentum over the past week.
On paper, they could not have gotten an easier game to rediscover their form. Livingston sit bottom of the Premiership table and are struggling at the moment.
That also means that the pressure on Celtic is further magnified. Dropping points against Livingston would raise major questions about Rodgers, the players and the board.
When Celtic take to the pitch this weekend, they will be without a midfielder. According to BBC, Odin Thiago Holm will miss out after an illness.
Holm was signed in the summer and arrived with a lot of expectations surrounding him. Many in his homeland had even compared his talent and potential to that of Martin Odegaard.
Until now, we have seen flashes of Holm's talent but overall, he has not really made enough of an impression to be considered a starter in Rodgers' team.
He has done somewhat better than many of Celtic's summer signings though. Kwon Hyeok-kyu, for example, has not even made his debut yet.
To be honest, Holm missing out cannot be considered a major blow for Celtic. It is unlikely that he would have started the game anyway.
Holm does give Rodgers an option to bring off the bench late in the game and can make things happen in the final third on his day. So, it would have helped the manager to have him available for selection.
It is what it is. Let's hope that the Bhoys can bring home the three points against Livingston and rediscover some of their mojo in the process.
Much tougher tests lie ahead. Following the game against Livingston, the Hoops will travel to Dens Park to face Dundee FC. After that, there is the Glasgow Derby at Celtic Park, a game whose result could potentially prove season-defining for both clubs.
